Many networking groups have a substitute programme, and it might be hard for some of you to hear: it has nothing to do with you!
When we ask why we allow substitutes, the answers typically are: “So I don’t get an absence,” or “So I can still deliver my regular presentation.”
This is thinking internally, even selfishly. The truth is that your fellow members aren’t thrilled they’re hearing your presentation second-hand. They aren’t saying, “Crikey, I wish John sent a substitute because I really missed his weekly presentation.”
The substitute programme is about one thing: bringing value to the meeting when you can’t be there.
Defining a ‘Valuable Substitute’
The core question you need to ask yourself is: How do I bring value to my fellow members when I’m absent?
This is where a valuable substitute comes in. A valuable substitute is someone who can do one of two things:
- Bring Business: They can potentially do business with, or bring a referral to, a fellow member in your group.
- Become a Member: They are a potential candidate to join the group themselves, creating ongoing value for everyone through a new relationship and new referral opportunities.
Most often, we know when we’ll be absent—a holiday, a conference, a planned event. It only takes a little time and effort to think about a business contact who could be a valuable substitute for your group.
The Two Types of ‘Bad’ Substitutes
When we lose sight of the substitute programme’s purpose, it falls apart. There are two common scenarios where a substitute is actively not valuable:
- The Serial Sub/Permanent Visitor: This is the person who subs for almost every member in the group but magically can’t commit to joining. They are a permanent visitor, often taking advantage of your chapter just to pitch their own business without bringing any reciprocal value. When members rely on the same one or two people, it creates a culture of mediocrity. We are choosing the easy way out (avoiding an absence) over setting a high standard for value. Worse still is when a group appoints an unexpected visitor as a substitute just to save a member from an absence—this sets a dangerous precedent.
- The Member from Another Group: This person is a bad substitute because they can’t fulfill either of the two value-adding criteria: They can’t join (they are already a member elsewhere) and They are unlikely to refer business (they have their own group with members in those same professions).
You are the most valuable resource to your fellow members. Only you have trained for weeks and years on how to find them referrals. A substitute is far less likely to effectively help your fellow members because they lack the relationship, the training, and the trust level that you have. You need to shift your thought process: How can you help fellow members if you’re not there?
If your group sets a high standard for what counts as an acceptable substitute—one focused on bringing genuine value—you will change the culture, and you will produce more results. Choose your subs carefully and use them sparingly for the best results.
What standards does your group use to define a valuable substitute? Is there a danger that by going for the easy options longer term members in fact teach newner members the wrong things and like monkeys we follow each other. Share your best practices in the comments!